When the Georgia Sweet Potato Improvement Association was formed in 1960 to promote the state’s prized crop and the farmers who grew them, the Georgia Sweet Potato Festival was one of the board’s first orders of business. The small town of Ocilla in Georgia’s Irwin County was its volunteer host for the inaugural event, and the tradition took root. The community of just more than 3,000 celebrated its 50th anniversary hosting the festival in 2010; the fest culminates annually on the last weekend of October in a Saturday afternoon filled with camaraderie, cooking contests and pageantry for hundreds of locals and visitors.

Theme Selection

The Ocilla-Irwin Chamber of Commerce takes suggestions from county residents in a summer contest to establish a slogan each year. Creative catch phrases like “Frankly, My Dear -- I Don’t Give a Yam,” “It’s Yammin’ Time” or “Peace, Love and Taters” help to set the theme for the annual celebration and provide inspiration to parade participants for the design of floats and costumes.

Pageant

At the beginning of October, an annual Sweet Potato Festival pageant is conducted in the Irwin County High School auditorium for female contestants from age 1 to 24. It is organized by the Irwin County Pageant Committee. The race for the crown and cash prizes is divided into six age groups from baby to adult. The winning contestants are honorary participants in the parade.

Car Show

In 1998, the event grew to include the exhibition of antique, classic and vintage cars and tractors. Vehicles are displayed between 1 to 4 p.m. in the Ocilla Baptist Church parking lot on North Irwin Avenue.

Arts and Crafts

An arts and crafts show goes on two blocks west of downtown at the old Irwin County Elementary School on West Fourth Street. More than a dozen food vendors, artisans and crafts sellers showcase their wares, including leather goods, handmade jewelry and cookware. Activities for kids include carnival games and potato painting.

Parade

With the accompaniment of a military band, a collective of marching bands from area schools and participants from the community, Highway 129 South becomes the stage for a themed parade at 11 a.m. on festival day. There is no fee for admission or participation, and everyone’s encouraged to join in the show, whether on foot or in a motorized vehicle.

Cook-Off

The Irwin County Extension Office sponsors the sweet potato cooking contest, one of the most cherished traditions of the annual festival. Entries must be made from scratch, and include sweet potatoes in the ingredient list. Entrants are first divided into two groups separating minors and adult contestants over 18. Then, plates are placed into categories including cakes, candies, pies, soufflés and miscellanea. Look for a plethora of sweet potato pies mingling with oddities like sweet potato punch and potato-pear dumplings. In 1996, winning recipes from previous festivals were combined into a cookbook, “A Sweet Idea,” which is for sale at the festival or through the Chamber of Commerce.

References

About the Author

Tricia Chaves began her writing career after working in advertising and promotions for entertainment publisher "The New Times." In 2005, she earned her real-estate salesperson license from the state of Ohio and certification for leasing and property management from the Northeast Ohio Apartment Association. She was certified as a life and weight-loss coach and master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming in 2011.